Card-holder



v (No Model.)

' J. H. DOWNING.

GARD HOLDER.

Patented Feb. 16,1897.

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ATTURNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN II. DowNINe, or roRTsMoUTII, VIRGINIA.

CARD-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 577,288, dated February 16, 1897.

Application filed December 15, 1896. Serial No. 615,753. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. DOWNING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portsmouth, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Card-Holders, of which the followng'is a speciication.

This invention relates to a card-holder designed especially for use on freight-cars.

The object of this invention is to provide a device to hold manifest-cards or cards giving directions of shipper.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a front view of the holder. Fig. 2 is a vertical section view of the board to which the holder is secured and shows an edge view of the holder. Fig. 3 is a front View of the holder, showing a card held in position. Fig. 4c is an elevation of parts of the device, showing the position of the card. Fig. 5 is a view of one of the spurs.

The device is made preferably of wire. A piece of wire is bent to form the frame or four sides-ends A and top and bottom A'with an eye b at each corner formed by a single coil. A cross-bar C, also of wire, extends from one end to Jthe other and is secured to said ends. This cross bar carries several spurs d, whose points project outward. Each spur (see Fig. 5) has a head 1 and a reduced neck 2, adjoining the head and between said head and the prong-point. These spurs are attached firmly to the cross-bar C by a coil e in said wire closely surrounding the reduced neck 2 of each spur. -Thus the spurs are stationary.

A spring-clamp carries a bar F, which is parallel with the said cross-bar. This bar has three loop-eyes g, each formed by-a single coil, and these eyes take down over the spurs d. The spring-clamp comprises the said eyebar, which is carried by two arms h, which extend up to near the top corner eyes b and are attached, preferably, to the ends A by a clip z'. spring-coil j, which serves to allow the arms and eye-bar F to be temporarily lifted or re- Each arm h has near its said clip'atracted from the spurs in order to insert or remove a card. These spring-coils allow the 5o requisite movement to the eye-bar without liabilityof bending the arms h. A bar le extends across from one arm to the other.

' The card L, it will be understood, is placed in position by first raising the clamp or eye- 55 bar F and then inserting the card between the said eye-bar and spurs d. The springpressure of the eye-bar will press the card down and cause the spurs to penetrate the card and enter the eyes g, and thus the card 6o will be held securely between the cross-bar C `and the eye-bar F.

In the present instance a card L is used, which is smaller than the rectangular frame A A', but it is obvious a much larger card 65 may be used with the same size frame-one that would extend over the ends and bottom of said frame.

This device as an article has all its parts assembled and permanently secured together 7o complete. To place it in position on the side of a car or elsewhere, it is only necessary to insert a nail or screw b' in each corner eye o.

The holder is simple in its construction, cheap to produce, and convenient and effi- '75 cient in use.

Having thus described my invention, what j I claim is y A shipping-card holder for attachment to freight-cars, comprising a rectangular wire 8o frame having a coil or eye, b, in each corner;

a stationary cross-bar, C, extending from one end of the frame to the other and carrying spurs whose points project outward; a b ar, F, parallel with said cross-bar and having 8 5 loop-eyes, g, which take over the spur-points and two arms, h, which carry said loop-eye bar and each of which has a spring-coil, j, and is attached to the said frame, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature 9o in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. DOWNING.

Witnesses: 1

J. DAvIs REED, W. M. RIDDICK. 

